About Us

October 2009 marked the 12th year of our group's existence. Time has passed quickly since 1997 when Marilyn Lee, our founder and President, first considered organizing an area support group for caregivers. "Do you think the community needs a support group?" she asked a friend. Employed at the time as an RN at Wahiawa General Hospital, Marilyn saw that families needed additional support to care for family members at home. In October of that year, following a newspaper announcement, the first meeting was held in the hospital's classroom. Many of those first attendees are now former caregivers. Some have moved away from Oahu but still keep in touch. A few from the first meetings, like Marilyn Lee, Florence Matsuda, Rachel and Elaine Sato, and Lani Nedbalek, continue with the group as members of the Board of Directors. The other Board members have also been primary caregivers. They understand and have experienced the emotions, concerns, and issues that come with the caregiving role.

The group's primary mission is to offer support to those caring for loved ones by scheduling guest speakers and "Talk Story" sessions at monthly meetings where attendees can learn about available resources, discuss concerns, and hear about the experiences of other caregivers. It is also a time when caregivers socialize, eat snacks, laugh, and spend time talking to others who understand the ups and downs of caregiving. We are grateful to all those associated with Wahiawa General Hospital, our able Advisory Council, and others, who have given us much help throughout the years.